When Chloe Epstein became pregnant, she started to pay more attention to the quality of the foods she was feeding herself and future child. The former lawyer wanted an alternative to both the artificial ingredients of frozen yogurt and the fat and dairy of ice cream. After a lot of experimenting with frozen fruits and having friends over for taste-tests, Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit was born using only fruit, water and a touch of organic cane sugar. With a flagship store in New York City, the company recently launched popsicles, now sold in over 4,000 supermarkets.

“I was a long time fro-yo addict, so when I became pregnant I started to think more profoundly about the quality of the foods I was feeding myself and my future children,” Epstein said. “I longed for something delicious, yet clean. With my partner, Michael Sloan, an avid triathlete, and a freezer full of over-ripened bananas, we created Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit.”

Chloe Epstein, founder of Chloe's Fruit

“Chloe's is the delicious, clean, alternative to the artificial ingredients of frozen yogurt and the fat and dairy of ice cream. It satiates your frozen snack craving without the guilt,” Epstein said. "Shortly after opening our shop in Manhattan, we discovered that our 3 ingredient mix made for an irresistible pop. Our Soft Serve Fruit Pops are now available in over 4,000 supermarkets nationwide in 6 fruit varieties. As a pop or in a cup, Chloe’s is a guilt free treat for me and one that I happily give my kids any time of day.”

Chloe's Fruit soft-serve

Epstein believes that her background as an attorney helped give her the initial confidence to start a business.

Epstein self-funded the launch of Chloe’s Fruit company alongside her two partners.

“Michael Sloan, my husband, Jason Epstein, and I were the first and are the largest individual investors,” Epstein said. “We are all in! Since then, we have raised over $8 million of third party capital.”

They opened their first location in 2010 on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

A Chloe's Fruit bar

“The grand opening came only after working tirelessly on perfecting our soft serve fruit recipe, then understanding how to calibrate the soft serve machines just right, and feeling confident that we were using as few ingredients as possible and still achieving superior taste,” Epstein said. “At that point, we went for it! We opened our doors with 4 fruit varieties; banana, strawberry, mango and apple. We then opened our Flagship shop in Union Square a year later, a seasonal shop in the Hamptons, and we developed our pops along the way. Our pops launched in Texas at HEB Markets in 2014 and can now be found nationwide.”

Epstein believes that Chloe’s Fruit stands out from competitors with its taste and being a company founded by a mom for moms.

“When enjoying Chloe’s Fruit, you only taste fruit- that is it!” Epstein said. “There is nothing artificial included to disrupt the intense taste of the fruit itself, which leads to the next distinguishing feature; simplicity of ingredients. We accomplish a more satisfying and delicious experience by using fewer ingredients than all our competitors. Our special combination makes us Non-GMO project verified, dairy free, gluten free, vegan, kosher, parve and free of all 8 major allergens. We pride ourselves on being a company founded by a Mom for Moms, and really for anyone trying to make better snacking choices.”

Chloe's Fruit soft-serve

For Epstein, it has been rewarding to bring a healthier treat to the market.

“I can’t help but find the most reward in seeing the pride and joy my three children get from the business,” Epstein said. “Listening to them recite the health benefits of a Chloe’s Pop to their friends never gets old. It’s also always gratifying to hear from customers with severe food allergies who say they were once unable to partake in the joy of frozen treats and are now able to with Chloe’s.”

A Chloe's Fruit bar

Epstein plans to grow Chloe's Fruit in the year to come.

“We are growing Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit Co. from a regional brand to a national brand,” Epstein said. “Financially, we are evolving from a small startup to a mature company, gaining over $25M in revenue in the next few years by adding more retail partners, new varieties, and new applications for our soft serve fruit. Most importantly, Chloe’s will secure a spot on every parent’s ‘Must Have’ food shopping list.”